INDIANA, PA. - Looking to extend their win streak to three straight, the University of New Haven men's basketball team rallied from a 14 point deficit but fell just shy of the upset in a 65-60 loss to #3 Indiana (Pa.) on Saturday night. Not only was this the first non-conference game of the season for New Haven but this was also the first regular season game against a nationally ranked opponent since they defeated the #17/18 Bentley Falcons, 72-42, in the 2019-20 season.

Quashawn Lane (Trenton, N.J./Trenton Catholic Academy) kicked off the game by draining a three-pointer from the left side corner after receiving the extra pass from Victor Olawoye (Elmont, N.Y./Elmont Memorial High School). Despite starting his New Haven career 0-8 from beyond the arc, Ty Perry (Boston, Mass./Brighton) hit his first three from the top of the key after Davontrey Thomas (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./Poughkeepsie) grabbed his own rebound to provide a second chance opportunity. 

A pull-up jumper in the paint by IUP cut the lead to two before they hit a three-pointer of their own to go up by one. Thomas immediately responded with a corner three from the right side after getting the feed from Perry across the paint. After a misfire from the Crimson Hawks, Olawoye pushed the ball up-court quickly to find Thomas again for a deep shot on the fast break. New Haven started the game with their first four baskets coming from beyond the arc after hitting just two in the entire game against Saint Rose.

IUP caught fire by going on a 15-2 run, capping it off with a break away dunk after forcing a turnover on the opposite end. Majur Majak (Poughkeepsie, N.Y./) put an stop to the Chargers' dry spell once he slammed it home on a pass in the paint from Olawoye. The Crimson Hawks took a 14 point lead, their largest lead of the game, after Shawndale Jones sunk a pair of free throws following an offensive rebound.

Looking for a momentum change, Perry pulled up for another three, this time on a pass from Sean Braithwaite (Center Moriches, N.Y./Center Moriches). Perry recovered the defensive rebound on the next possession, after Lane blocked a lay-up attempt at the rim, and found Majak again for a fast break dunk.

Majak split a pair of free throws a minute later but the Chargers still trailed at the half, 22-33. Three Chargers finished with six points to close out the first half while Majak led the team with five rebounds. In the opening half of play, New Haven shot 8-28 (28.6 percent) from the field including 5-13 (38.5 percent) from beyond the perimeter.

New Haven began the second half with a jumper in the paint by Perry after Majak pulled in an offensive rebound. A minute later Olawoye found an open Thomas on the outside ,who cut the lead to eight with his third three-pointer of the game. A driving layup by IUP's Jones with 13:59 on the clock regained a double-digit lead but then Perry sparked a 9-0 Chargers run in which the senior guard grabbed his own miss and laid it in for a second-chance shot. 

IUP reclaimed a two possession lead after Tomiwa Sulaiman converted an and-1 opportunity on a driving lay-up. However, the Chargers continued to assault the rim as Thomas pulled down another offensive rebound for the team, transitioning it into a Majak dunk. The Crimson Hawks answered with a second-chance shot of their own to take a five point lead but Thomas buried a three-pointer soon after on an assist from Olawoye to cut the score to 44-46 with 8:33 left.

Dave Morris came up big with back-to-back plays for IUP, hitting a fast-break three before snatching a steal that would lead to a mid-range jumper to grow their advantage to seven points.

After Lane made both of his free throw attempts, a heads up defensive play by Olawoye resulted in the inbounds pass being deflected into the basket to make it a three point game again. Jones hit both of his free throw attempts for the Crimson Hawks but then Thomas and Lane scored on consecutive driving lay-ups, the latter of the two converting an and-1 opportunity to tie it at 53 with less than five minutes to go.

Following two more free throws by Jones, Olawoye drove to the paint where he found Majak, who finished with the two-hand slam. IUP hit on back-to-back pull-up jumpers from the free throw line before New Haven was assessed an administrative technical foul with less than a minute to go. Now trailing by eight points, Olawoye dished it to Majak once more for a quick dunk before Perry sunk a three-pointer with six seconds left. Jones, however, made both of his shots at the line to secure a victory for Indiana (Pa.) and stay undefeated.

New Haven finishing the game shooting 22-54 (40.7 percent) but despite a season-low two three-pointers last game, the Chargers went 8-23 (34.8 percent) from beyond the arc tonight. On offense, Perry led the Blue & Gold with 15 points while Thomas followed close behind with 14. Olawoye tied a season-high eight assists including the last minute dish to Majak, who finished with an 11 point-11 rebound double-double.

New Haven's defense held the Crimson Hawks to a season-low in points as well as a season-low in field goal percentage (39.6 percent) and from beyond the perimeter (28.6 percent).

Now 2-2 on the season (2-1 in conference), the University of New Haven men's basketball team will return to conference play when they visit the American International Yellow Jackets on Wednesday, Nov. 30. Tip-off against AIC is scheduled for 7:30 P.M. at Henry A. Butova Gymnasium.